Indiana Health Coverage Program Policy Manual CHAPTER: 2800 SECTION: Table of Contents

Transcription

1 Indiana Health Coverage Program Policy Manual CHAPTER: 2800 SECTION: Income Table of Contents INCOME Income Household Income (MED 3) EARNED AND UNEARNED INCOME AVAILABILITY OF INCOME OWNERSHIP OF INCOME Establishing Income Ownership Income from Non-Trust Property Income from Trust Property INCOME THAT IS GARNISHED INVOLUNTARY WITHHOLDING OF TAXES (MED 1, 2 and 4) EARNED INCOME SALE OF BLOOD OR PLASMA TIPS SHELTERED WORKSHOP EARNINGS Earnings of Children Earnings (EARNED AND UNEARNED) of Children or Tax Dependents (MED 3) EARNINGS OF STUDENTS UNDER AGE 22 (MED 1) SELF-EMPLOYMENT SELF-EMPLOYMENT DEDUCTIONS INCOME RECEIVED FROM TRAINING PROGRAMS JTPA Income (MED 1, 4)

2 IN-KIND INCOME, BARTERING, GIFTS, AND GAMBLING IN-KIND EARNINGS (MED 1, 2, 4) IN-KIND SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE (MED 1, 4) Cash Support for Certain Dependents (MED 3) BARTERING (MED 3) GIFTS AND INHERITANCES (MED 3) GAMBLING WINNINGS (MED 3) CANCELED DEBT (MED 3) INFREQUENT OR IRREGULAR INCOME (MED 1, 4) CHILD AND SPOUSAL SUPPORT CHILD SUPPORT (MAGI, MED 3) CHILD SUPPORT AND ALIMONY (MED 1, MED 4) ASSISTANCE FROM GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS ENERGY ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE ASSISTANCE HUD PAYMENTS RELOCATION ASSISTANCE ACT PAYMENTS DISASTER ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS Foster Care Payments Adoption Assistance (MAGI, MED 3) Adoption Assistance (MED 1, 4) SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME Supplemental Security Income (MAGI, MED 3) Supplemental Security Income (MED 1, 4)

3 TANF/RCA PAYMENTS Retroactive/Corrective TANF/RCA Payments (NON- MAGI, MED, 1, 4) FOOD STAMPS/NUTRITION PROGRAMS RESIDENTIAL LIVING ALLOWANCES BENEFIT PROGRAMS SOCIAL SECURITY INCOME (MED 1, 2, 4) SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS (MED 3) VETERANS' BENEFITS Spina Bifida Allowance for Veterans' Children VA AID & ATTENDANCE ALLOWANCE AND HOUSEBOUND ALLOWANCE RAILROAD RETIREMENT BENEFITS (MED 1, 2, 4) RAILROAD RETIREMENT BENEFITS (MED 3) PENSIONS PENSIONS (MED 1, 2, 4) PENSIONS (MED 3) UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION BENEFITS WORKER'S COMPENSATION WORKER S COMPENSATION (MED 1, 2, 4) WORKER S COMPENSATION (MED 3) STRIKE BENEFITS MILITARY ALLOTMENTS MILITARY ALLOTMENTS (MED 1, 2, 4) MILITARY ALLOTMENTS (MED 3) DISABILITY PAYMENTS

4 DISABILITY PAYMENTS (MED 1, 2, 4) DISABILITY PAYMENTS (MED 3) Indemnity Health Insurance Payments Indemnity Health Insurance Payments (MED 1, 2, 4) BENEFITS RECEIVED DUE TO FEDERAL LAW Domestic Volunteer Service Act Compensation OLDER AMERICANS ACT OLDER AMERICANS ACT (MED 1, 2, 4) OLDER AMERICANS ACT (MED 3) ASSISTANCE FOR CERTAIN INDIAN TRIBES/ALASKAN NATIVES COMPENSATION TO GERMANS, JAPANESE, AND ALEUTS Payments to Japanese And Aleuts German Reparation Payments AGENT ORANGE BENEFITS FEDERAL TAX REFUND PAYMENTS CHILD CARE PAYMENTS RADIATION EXPOSURE ACT BENEFITS Crime Victim Payments UTILITY EXPENSE PAYMENTS SETTLEMENT PAYMENTS UNDER WALKER V. BAYER CORPORATION, ET. AL MILITARY SUBSISTENCE ALLOWANCES AMERICORPS PROGRAM (MED 1) ENERGY EMPLOYEES OCCUPATIONAL ILLNESS COMPENSATION PROGRAM (MED 1)

5 DIVIDENDS, INTEREST AND ROYALTIES INTEREST ON INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNTS REIMBURSEMENTS EDUCATIONAL INCOME DEFINITION EXEMPT EDUCATIONAL INCOME (MED 1, 2, 4) NON-EXEMPT EDUCATIONAL INCOME (MED 1, 2, 4) WORK STUDY (MED 3) EMPLOYER EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE (MED 3) SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS (MED 3) Qualified Tuition Reduction (MED 3) EDUCATION EXPENSE DEDUCTIONS (MED 3) STUDENT LOAN INTEREST DEDUCTION (MED 3) TUITION AND FEES DEDUCTION (MED 3) LOANS STUDENT LOAN CANCELLATIONS AND REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE (MED 3) REVERSE MORTGAGES REVERSE MORTGAGES (MED 1, 2, 4) REVERSE MORTGAGES (MED 3) CONTRIBUTIONS DEFINITION CONTRIBUTIONS (MED 1, 2, 4) CONTRIBUTIONS (MED 3) REAL ESTATE INCOME RENTAL INCOME Rental Income (MED 3) Rental Income (MED 1, 2, 4)

6 INCOME FROM CONTRACT SALES Income from Contract or Installment Sales (MED 3) Income from Contract Sales (MED 1, MED 4) LUMP SUM PAYMENTS LUMP SUM PAYMENTS (MED 1, 2, 4) LUMP SUM PAYMENTS (MED 3) DEEMED INCOME (MED 1 and 4) VERIFICATION OF INCOME VERIFICATION OF EARNED INCOME Verification of Self-Employment Income/Expenses VERIFICATION OF UNEARNED INCOME Verification of Child Support Payments (MED 1, 2, 4) Verification of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (NON-MAGI, MED 1, 2, 4) Verification of Social Security Income Verification of Veterans' Benefits (NON-MAGI, MED 1, 2, 4) Verification of Railroad Retirement Verification of Black Lung Benefits Verification of Pensions Verification of Unemployment Compensation Benefits (UCB) Verification of Worker's Compensation (NON-MAGI, MED 1, 2, 4) Verification of Educational Income

7 Indiana Health Coverage Program Policy Manual CHAPTER: 2800 SECTION: Income Table of Contents INCOME This chapter discusses types of income for modified adjusted gross income ( MAGI ) categories (MED 3) and non-magi categories (MED 1, 2, 4). Refer to Chapter 3200 to determine which assistance group (AG) members must have their income considered. The specific income situations discussed in this chapter are: Definition of Income (Section 2805); Earned Income (Section 2810); In-kind Income (Section 2815); Vendor Payments (Section 2820); Infrequent or Irregular Income (Section 2825); Support, Child, Spousal (Section 2830); Assistance from Government Programs (Section 2835); Benefit Programs (Section 2840); Benefits Due to Federal Law (Section 2845); Dividends and Interest (Section 2850); Reimbursements (Section 2855); Student Loans, Grants, and Scholarships (Section 2860); Loans (Section 2865); Contributions (Section 2870); Residential Living Allowances (Section ); Real Estate Income (Section 2875); Lump Sum Payments (Section 2880); Deemed Income (Section 2885); Verification of Income (Section 2890) Income Income is the gain or benefit, earned or unearned, which is received or is available to the AG. All unearned and earned income, unless specifically exempted, disregarded, deducted for work expenses, or allocated to dependents as allowed by state or federal regulation, is to be evaluated in determining initial and continuing eligibility Household Income (MED 3) For Modified Adjusted Gross Income ( MAGI ) (MED 3) AGs, eligibility is based upon household income, which is the sum of

8 every individual included in the individual s household (refer to Chapter 3200 for the complete definition of household ). 1 Household income does not include: Income of a child living with his or her natural, adopted, or step parent and is not required to file a tax return for the taxable year in which Medicaid eligibility is determined whether or not a tax return is filed; or Income of a tax dependent living with a taxpayer and is not required to file a tax return for the taxable year in which Medicaid eligibility is being determined whether or not a tax return is filed. Cash support provided by the person claiming a tax dependent who is not a spouse or biological, adopted or step-child is not counted as income. 2 To determine if a child or tax dependent is required to file taxes, please, refer to tables in IHCPPM Income is calculated using the same financial methodologies used to determine MAGI as defined in section 36B(d)(2)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code ( IRC ). 3 The IRC defines MAGI as adjusted gross income plus any foreign income, tax exempt interest, and non-taxable Social Security benefits. Supplemental Security Income ( SSI ) is excluded under MAGI. 4 The following are three exceptions from MAGI for Medicaid eligibility purposes: (1) A lump sum amount is counted as income only in the month received. (2) Scholarships, awards, or fellowship grants for educational purposes and not for living expenses are excluded from income CFR (d) 2 42 CFR (d) 3 42 CFR (e) 4 26 USC 36B(d)(2)(B)

9 (3) Certain American Indian and Alaska Native settlement trusts, distributions, and student financial assistance. 5 Eligibility based upon MAGI-based income does not include an asset (resources) test and does not include any income or expense disregards except for an amount equivalent to 5 percentage points of the applicable income standard for the family size as set forth in IHCPPM Any items that are tax deductible should be deducted from a person s MAGI-based income. Income under MAGI-based methodologies includes, but is not limited to, the following: 1) Wages and salaries; 2) Rents; 3) Royalties; 4) Gains from dealings in property; 5) Taxable interest; 6) Tax exempt interest; 7) Dividends; 8) State income tax refunds; 9) Alimony received; 10) Business income; 11) Capital gains; 12) Income from life insurance and endowment contracts; 13) Other gains; 14) Taxable IRA distributions; 15) Taxable pensions and annuities; 5 42 USC 1396a(e)(14); 42 CFR (e) 6 42 USC 1396a(e)(14)(B)-(C); 42 CFR (g)

10 16) Distributive share of partnership gross income; 17) Estate and trust income; 18) Farm income; 19) Unemployment compensation; 20) Taxable Social Security benefits; 21) Non-taxable Social Security benefits (SSI, however, is excluded); 22) Net operating loss; 23) Gambling earnings; 24) Cancellation of debt; 25) Foreign earned income exclusion; and 26) Foreign earned income. 7 Under MAGI-based methodologies, the following deductions apply: 1) Educator expenses; 2) Certain business expenses of reservists, performing artists, and fee-basis government officials (vehicle and transportation costs). 3) Health savings account deduction. 4) Moving expenses. 5) Deductible part of self-employment tax. 6) Self-employed SEP, SIMPLE, and qualified plans 7) Self-employed health insurance deduction 8) Penalty on early withdrawal of savings 9) Alimony paid b Recipient s SSN 10) IRA deduction 7 42 CFR ; and IRS Form 1040

11 11) Student loan interest deduction 12) Tuition and fees. 13) Domestic production activities deduction EARNED AND UNEARNED INCOME Income is broken down into two categories: earned income and unearned income. Earned income is payment received in the form of wages, salaries and commissions from an employer or from self-employment. Inkind earnings such as goods or services received in lieu of wages are also considered earned income. It can also be profits from the sale of farm crops, livestock, or poultry. 9 Unearned income is income for which there is no current performance of work or services. Unearned income may include: Retirement income, disability payments, unemployment/worker's compensation; annuities, pensions, and other regular payments; alimony and support payments; dividends, interest, and royalties; proceeds of life insurance policies (when paid in installments); winnings, prizes and awards; gifts and inheritances; child support; and benefits administered through the Social Security Administration AVAILABILITY OF INCOME 8 42 CFR ; IRS Form USC 32(c)(2)

12 Income is considered available when it is actually received and/or when the individual has the ability to make the income available. Refer to IHCPPM regarding the income budgeting principals OWNERSHIP OF INCOME The individual who has title to the proceeds of a payment or property is the individual who "owns" the income. If the income is received by an individual's legal representative or guardian, the individual still owns the income. When a legal representative receives the income, ownership through one of the following documents must be verified: the designation on the payment, check, award letter, or other document; or the title to the property Establishing Income Ownership The ownership of all sources of income must be determined according to the criteria listed below. This process establishes the income attributable to each individual. For non-magi (MED 1, 2, 4) AGs, income received and used for the care and maintenance of an individual who is not an AG member is not counted as income. When a single payment is received for AG and non-ag members, the portion intended and used for the care and maintenance of the non-ag member will not be counted as income to the AG. For MAGI (MED 3) AGs, payment for the care and maintenance of an AG member or non-ag member is only counted as income if it is taxable income. However, available cash support is not counted as income if provided by the person claiming a tax dependent if the tax dependent is someone other than a spouse or biological, adopted, or step-child. When a legal representative receives the income, ownership may be verified by the following if electronic verification is not possible: - By specific designation on the payment, check, award letter, or other document; or

13 - By contacting the payment source to ascertain for whom payment is intended and for what purpose is payment being made. After ownership has been established, each income source must be attributed to the appropriate owner(s) Income from Non-Trust Property Consider income paid in the name of one individual to be the income of that individual. For income paid in the name of one individual and another person or persons, consider available to each person the amount representing the individual's proportionate interest. For non-magi (MED 1, 2, 4) AGs, consider child support income to be the income of the child. For MAGI (MED 3) AGs, child support income is excluded from income. For non-magi (MED 1, 2, 4) AGs, consider income paid in the name of one spouse to be the income of that spouse. For income paid in the names of both spouses, consider one-half of the income to be available to each spouse. For income paid in the name of one or both spouses and to another person or persons, consider available to each spouse the amount representing the spouse's proportionate interest. When no interest is specified, consider available to each spouse onehalf of the couple's joint interest Income from Trust Property The income from a trust source should be considered as available to each individual or to each spouse in accordance with the specific terms of the trust. In the absence of specific provisions, the preceding rules for ownership of income from a non-trust source will apply INCOME THAT IS GARNISHED Income earned by an AG member that is garnished by an employer and paid to a third party, such as IRS garnishments, is included as income INVOLUNTARY WITHHOLDING OF TAXES (MED 1, 2 and 4)

14 The amount of tax that is involuntarily withheld from an individual's unearned income is an allowable deduction from income. In order for the tax to be considered involuntarily withheld, the payee must have no choice as to whether the tax is withheld or not. If the payee can choose the amount of a mandatory withholding, the deduction must be allowed in the smallest permissible amount. The amount of tax that is being voluntarily withheld from an individual's unearned income is not an allowable deduction from income EARNED INCOME Earned income is earnings received through wages, salaries, commissions, or profit from activities in which a person is engaged through either employment or self-employment. Income, in order to be considered as "earned", must entail personal involvement and effort on the part of the recipient, including managerial responsibilities. Examples of earned income include, but are not limited to Wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, or profit received as a result of holding a job or being self-employed; this would include earnings from a graduate assistantship, if subject to taxation and available to the student for meeting non-educational living expenses; Wages received from sheltered workshop employment; Compensation for jury duty; Tips; Goods and services received in lieu of wages for work performed; The dollar value, as established by the employer, of income received in-kind for work performed when in-kind earnings are received in lieu of wages. Refer to IHCPPM SALE OF BLOOD OR PLASMA For MED 2 and 3 AGs, income from the sale of blood or plasma is included as earned income.

15 For MED 1 and 4 AGs, income from the sale of blood or plasma is considered as unearned income TIPS The amount of tips reported by the employee is included as earned income. Many times an employer will include on the pay stub of the employee an amount the employer must report to the IRS for tax purposes. This is an allocated amount which may or may not be considered as the amount actually earned or received by the employee. The tip amount reported by the employee can be accepted unless questioned. In some instances, the employee reports actual tips to the employer. In this instance, the employer can verify actual tips earned. The individual should keep records on a daily basis if the tips are not reported to the employer, so this information can be used for verification. NOTE: Worker should be aware that when the hourly wage is less than the minimum wage, the possibility of tips may exist SHELTERED WORKSHOP EARNINGS Any payments from a sheltered workshop are included as earned income. A sheltered workshop is a special workshop offering limited employment experience for the mentally or physically handicapped. Refer to IHCPPM Earnings of Children All of the earned income of a child under age 14 is disregarded Earnings (EARNED AND UNEARNED) of Children or Tax Dependents (MED 3) Household income does not include the MAGI-based income (earned or unearned) of a child who is included in the household of his or her natural, adopted or step parent or a tax dependent who is included in the household of a taxpayer and is not required to file a tax return for the taxable year in which Medicaid eligibility is being determined whether or not a tax return is filed. However, if such child or tax dependent is required to file a tax return pursuant to the IRC for the taxable year, the child s or tax dependent s MAGI-based income will be included in IAC 2-3-3

16 the calculation of household income for eligibility purposes. 11 The following table provides minimum amounts for when a child or tax dependent must file a tax return based upon earned income per IRS rules (please note that the DFR must accept selfattestation for tax filing and tax dependency status, unless there is conflicting information in the case record that cannot be resolved without other means of verification. If an individual is uncertain how to answer the tax questions, the DFR can refer the individual to the following charts and information): Marital Status - Single Amount Under 65 and not blind $6,100 Either 65 or older or blind $7, or older and blind $9,100 Marital Status Married Amount Under 65 and not blind $6,100 Either 65 or older or blind $7, or older and blind $8, The following table provides when a child or tax dependent must file a tax return based upon unearned income: Marital Status - Single Amount Under 65 and not blind $1,000 Either 65 or older or blind $2, or older and blind $4, CFR (d)(2)(i)-(ii) 12 IRS Publication 929, Tax Rules for Children and Dependents (2013)

17 Marital Status Married Amount Under 65 and not blind $1,000 Either 65 or older or blind $2, or older and blind $3, If a child or tax dependent has both earned and unearned income, the following IRS Filing Requirement Worksheet for most dependents can be completed to determine if a tax return must be filed. Generally, a child or tax dependent must file a return if his or her gross income (both earned and unearned) is more than line 5 of the worksheet. Filing Requirement Worksheet for Most Dependents 1. Enter dependent's earned income plus $ Minimum amount $1, Compare lines 1 and 2. Enter the larger amount 4. Maximum amount 6, Compare lines 3 and 4. Enter the smaller amount 6. Enter the dependent's gross income (from earned and unearned). If line 6 is more than line 5, the dependent must file an income tax return. If the dependent is married and his or her spouse itemizes deductions on a separate return, the dependent must file an income tax return if line 6 is $5 or more. Even if he or she does not meet the aforementioned requirements for filing, a child or tax dependent may also be required to file a tax return in the following circumstances: 1) He or she owes Social Security and Medicare taxes on tips not reported to his or her employer or on employer wages where the employer did not withhold these taxes; 2) He or she owes uncollected Social Security and Medicare or railroad retirement taxes on tips reported to his or her employer or on group-term life insurance; 13 IRS Publication 929, Tax Rules for Children and Dependents (2013)

18 3) He or she owes an alternative minimum tax; 4) He or she owes additional tax on a health savings account; 5) He or she owes recapture taxes (e.g. recapture of an education credit); 6) He or she owes additional tax on a qualified plan (IRA); 7) He or she had $ or more of wages from a church or qualified church-controlled organization that is exempt from employer social security and Medicare taxes; or He or she had net self-employment earnings of $ or more EARNINGS OF STUDENTS UNDER AGE 22 (MED 1) Effective June 1, 2014, earned income of a student regularly attending school at least half-time is excluded up to certain maximum amounts. The exclusion applies to an applicant/recipient as well as non-participating members of a MED 1 AG whose eligibility is being determined under the 100% FPL income standard. For 2015, the first $1,780 of monthly earned income is to be excluded. This exclusion cannot exceed $7,180 for the calendar year. For 2014 the monthly amount was $1,750 and the annual amount was $7, SELF-EMPLOYMENT An individual is self-employed when the individual owns a business or otherwise engages in a private enterprise. Income derived from self-employment is considered earned income. Refer to IHCPPM for specific definitions. This includes, but is not limited to: operating a small business; sales from a franchise company; picking up and selling cans; 14 IRS Publication 929, Tax Rules for Children and Dependents (2013)

19 farm self-employment; selling newspapers; Income from roomers and boarders is treated like selfemployment for MED 2 and MED 3; and income from rental property involving an average of 20 hours per week management is treated as self-employment income for F. Refer to IHCPPM sections and Refer to IHCPPM to determine how self-employment income is budgeted. Refer to IHCPPM for proper verification of self-employment income SELF-EMPLOYMENT DEDUCTIONS An individual who is self-employed may be eligible for certain business deductions from his or her taxable income when calculating household income. All IRS deductions are allowable for MAGI categories and MED 1. This section, however, does not apply to MA F or RMA. Deductible business expenses must be both ordinary and necessary. An ordinary expense means an expense that is common and accepted for a certain business. A necessary expense is an expense that is helpful and appropriate for a certain business. The full amount of the business expense is deducted if the business makes a profit and the business expense is both ordinary and necessary. The following are types of business expenses that may be deducted: 1) Employees pay; 2) Retirement and savings plans; 3) Rent expenses; 4) Business interest expense or amount charge for borrowing money for business; 5) Depreciation (for MED 1, 3, and 4 only) 6) Taxes certain federal, state, local, and foreign taxes directly attributable to business; 7) Legal and professional fees;

20 8) Travel, meals, and entertainment; 9) Business use of home; and 10) Insurance INCOME RECEIVED FROM TRAINING PROGRAMS When an individual participates in a work or on-the-job training program that involves work for payment, the payment is included as earned income for non-magi (MED 1, MED 2 and MED 4) AGs. The income is included in the household income for MAGI (MED 3) AGs if the individual participating in the on-the-job training program is required to file taxes. (Refer to IHCPPM ). Training allowances from vocational and rehabilitative programs recognized by a government agency are also included income, unless excludable as a reimbursement. For example, IMPACT and Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) program payments or allowances are included income unless provided as a reimbursement or otherwise identified as excluded income in the following sections. Refer to IHCPPM for additional information on reimbursements JTPA Income (MED 1, 4) Income received through a JTPA program for on-the-job training is counted as earned income. Reimbursements for supportive services are exempt IN-KIND INCOME, BARTERING, GIFTS, AND GAMBLING Non-cash or in-kind benefits, bartering, gifts, and gambling are discussed in the following sections IN-KIND EARNINGS (MED 1, 2, 4) In-kind earnings are goods and services received in exchange for working i.e., in lieu of cash. The dollar value of the work performed as established by the employer is counted as earned income only in situations where the employee has the option of receiving cash for the performed work. If the employee does not have the option of receiving cash for the performed work, the goods and services received are exempt as income.

21 EXAMPLE If an AG member works off his rent and the landlord states he would pay the client $200 a month, but he prefers to receive free rent in lieu of the money. Count $200 income and allow $200 as a shelter cost. If the landlord states he would not pay the client to do the work, do not count any income or allow any shelter deduction IN-KIND SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE (MED 1, 4) Within MED 1, the policy stated in this section applies to MA A, MA B, and MA D. In-kind support and maintenance, or income-in-kind, is food, clothing, or shelter received by the applicant/recipient (and his spouse or parent) because someone else pays for it. Shelter expenses are room, rent or mortgage payments, property taxes, heating fuel, gas, electricity, water, sewerage, and garbage collection services. The amount to be budgeted as income is the actual value of the in-kind support and maintenance received, not to exceed onethird of the applicable federal benefit rate of SSI. (Refer to IHCPPM The actual value is determined and verified by a signed statement from the person providing the in-kind support and maintenance. The one-third value is determined by dividing the income standard by three. Situations which require consideration of income-in-kind are enumerated below. The term "individual" used in this section means the applicant/recipient and his spouse or parent. If the individual lives in his own household (owns or rents), income-in-kind is received if someone else pays for all of the food expenses or all of the shelter expenses. If another person in the household regularly pays a designated amount to the individual for shelter and/or food, that amount is to be considered as rental income from a roomer/boarder. If the members of a household state that they "share" food and shelter expenses, income-in-kind is not received by the individual. A signed statement by the adult household members must be obtained as verification that the applicant/recipient pays his share.

22 If the individual lives in another person's household and pays nothing toward the food and shelter expenses, incomein-kind is received. If the individual pays a designated amount for food and/or shelter, he is not receiving income-in-kind. In situations where the individual has no ownership interest or rental liability in his residence and he does not pay for any of the shelter expenses, income-in-kind is received. A statement from the property owner or leaseholder as to the value of the shelter being provided is to be obtained as verification. If the individual pays any part of the shelter expense, for example, utilities, income-in-kind is not received. If someone provides all of the individual's clothing, income-in-kind is received. Effective June 1, 2014, gifts from a non-profit organization as described under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to or for the benefit of a child under 18 years of age and has a life-threatening condition are exempt so long as the gift does not exceed $2,000 in any calendar year. Any gift not converted to cash is considered an in-kind gift. 15 Refer to IHCPPM regarding budgeting in-kind income Cash Support for Certain Dependents (MED 3) Cash support is excluded for MAGI purposes for a child under 19 years old who: - is claimed by as tax dependent by someone other than a spouse or a biological, adopted, or step-parent; and - receives financial support from the person claiming the child as the dependent BARTERING (MED 3) Bartering is an exchange of property or services. The fair market value of the services or property being bartered is CFR (c)(21)

23 taxable income to the individual receiving the services or property. Therefore, such income is counted in the calculation of MAGI for purposes of Medicaid eligibility GIFTS AND INHERITANCES (MED 3) Property received as a gift, bequest, or inheritance is not considered taxable income and is not included in the calculation of MAGI for determination of eligibility. If such gifts, bequests, or inheritances produce income (e.g., interest, dividends, rent) at a later date, that income will be considered taxable income. In addition, if such gift, bequest, or inheritance is placed in a trust for the individual and the income is paid or distributed to the individual, such income is taxable and included in the calculation of household income for eligibility determinations GAMBLING WINNINGS (MED 3) Cash winnings and the fair market value of non-cash prizes (e.g., bonds, cars, houses, etc.) as a result of gambling, lotteries, and raffles are considered taxable income and must be included in the calculation of MAGI for eligibility determinations. Gambling losses can be deducted from income but only up to the amount of the individual s winnings CANCELED DEBT (MED 3) A debt is any amount of money for which an individual is liable or which attaches to property owned by an individual. If a debt owed by an individual is canceled or forgiven, the canceled amount is taxable income and must be included in the calculation of household income for purposes of eligibility determinations. However, if the canceled debt is intended as a gift to the individual, it is not taxable income and is not included in the calculation of MAGI for purposes of eligibility determinations. Some examples of canceled debt that are gifts include: A relative who is not an AG member pays the rent directly to the landlord; or medical payments made by a third party to a medical provider INFREQUENT OR IRREGULAR INCOME (MED 1, 4) Within MED 1, the policy stated in this section applies to MA A, MA B, and MA D.

24 The following disregard is applicable to all individuals whose income is included in the eligibility determination. Up to $20 of unearned income and $10 of earned income if the income is "infrequent" or "irregular" as defined below, and does not exceed the applicable $20 or $10 maximum in a given month. Infrequent - received quarterly or less often than quarterly from a single source; Irregular - cannot reasonably be expected. Once it is determined that a source of income cannot be excluded under this provision, it must be considered in the eligibility determination. EXAMPLE 1 Interest income on a certificate of deposit paid semi-annually in the amount of $25 must be budgeted. Reason: It is "infrequent" (semi-annually is less often than quarterly), but it exceeds the $20 maximum. Applicable budgeting rule is to divide by the appropriate number of months. Therefore, $4.17 is budgeted monthly. EXAMPLE 2 Interest income on a certificate of deposit paid semi-annually in the amount of $20 is disregarded. Reason: It is "infrequent" and does not exceed the $20 maximum. EXAMPLE 3 Interest income on a passbook savings account paid monthly averaging $4 must be budgeted. It is not "infrequent" (monthly is more often than quarterly), although it is less than $20 in a given month. EXAMPLE 4 Two sources of interest income are received: $2 paid quarterly on a savings account and $15 from a certificate of deposit paid semi-annually. Each source is evaluated separately for the "I or I" determination, then combined to determine if the total exceeds $20. Therefore, both the $2 and the $15 are disregarded. (They are infrequent and the total of $17 does not exceed $20.) Refer to IHCPPM

25 CHILD AND SPOUSAL SUPPORT Child support payments are those funds paid by a legal, adjudicated, or alleged parent intended for the support or maintenance of a child. Child support can be voluntarily paid by the non-custodial parent, or court-ordered. However, in order for voluntary payments to be considered child support for eligibility purposes, both parents must be in agreement that the payments are for the support or maintenance of a child. Without this agreement, the payments are considered to be contributions rather than child support. Child support is unearned income and is considered the child's income. Spousal support or alimony is an amount of money allocated from one spouse to another by a court in a divorce or separation agreement. A spousal support or alimony payment is unearned income for MED 1, 2, and 4 AGs. For MAGI (MED 3) AGs, spousal support or alimony is taxable income for the individual receiving the support. Spousal support or alimony paid to an ex-spouse is deducted for the individuals who paid spousal support or alimony to an ex-spouse for purposes of calculating MAGI CHILD SUPPORT (MAGI, MED 3) The amount of child support received or anticipated to be received for any member of the AG is excluded from the calculation of MAGI for household income CHILD SUPPORT AND ALIMONY (MED 1, MED 4) Child support payments, as defined in IHCPPM are counted as unearned income in the full amount paid on behalf of the child. Payments received for a child no longer in the home and not used for the child's benefit are considered a contribution. Effective June 1, 2014, for child applicants or recipients who receive child support payments, the child support income will be deducted by one-third (1/3) of the total amount received. Effective June 1, 2014, child support payments and alimony payments made by a non-recipient spouse, parent, or stepparent through a court order or Title-IV are not included as income for the non-recipient member.

26 ASSISTANCE FROM GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS The treatment of assistance from government agencies will vary depending on the nature of the program and the payment ENERGY ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS Home energy assistance payments made to or on behalf of the AG by the Indiana Department on Aging and Community Services under the Energy Assistance to Low Income Families Program are excluded from income for all Medicaid categories. 16 This includes the Energy Assistance Program (EAP), Project SAFE, and Project HEAT TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE ASSISTANCE All payments made by Township Trustees are exempt as income for all Medicaid categories HUD PAYMENTS HUD payments are payments made by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Housing assistance paid directly or indirectly by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development under the following Acts are exempt: The Housing Authorization Act of 1976 with respect to a dwelling unit under the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended (Sections 8, 10, and 23 and the Experimental Housing Allowance Program); The National Housing Act (loans for housing renovation, mortgage insurance, and investment insurance); Title V of the Housing Act of 1949 (loans to elderly individuals, farmers, and developers for the construction, improvement, or replacement of farm homes and other buildings); and IAC 2-3-3; 20 CFR

27 Section 101 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965 (payments to certain mortgagors in behalf of tenants with low income who are displaced by government action, age 62 or over, physically handicapped, living in substandard housing, present or past tenants of dwellings damaged or destroyed by disaster, or the head of the household is on active duty with the armed forces RELOCATION ASSISTANCE ACT PAYMENTS Relocation assistance provided under Title II of the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of is exempt for all Medicaid categories DISASTER ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS Payments made under the Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of are excluded for all AG Medicaid categories. There must be a Presidentially declared disaster for these payments to be excluded FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS The following sections describe program specific policy on foster care and adoption assistance payments for children and adults received from any agency Foster Care Payments For non-magi (MED 1, 2, 4) AGs, foster care payments received by a foster care parent from any federal, state or local foster care maintenance payments intended to provide for adults or children are exempt income. For MAGI (MED 3) AGs, foster care payments received from any federal, state or local foster care agency for the care of qualified foster individuals in the home are exempt from taxable income unless foster care is being provided for five individuals age 19 or older. A qualified foster individual is a person who is living in a foster family home and was placed in the home by 17 P.L , Section 2 (h); P.L , Section 9; 20 CFR and P.L , Section 216; 20 CFR P.L ; 20 CFR

28 an agency of the state or one of its political subdivisions or a qualified foster care agency. 20 Difficulty of care payments, compensation for providing additional care for physically, mentally, or emotionally handicapped foster individuals, for more than 10 qualified foster individuals under age 19 or 5 qualified foster individuals age 19 or older are also included in taxable income for purposes of determining household income. In addition, if an individual receives compensation for maintaining space in their home for emergency foster care, such compensation is also included as taxable income Adoption Assistance (MAGI, MED 3) Federal, state or local adoption assistance payments for special needs children, children whom the state s child welfare agency considers difficult to place for adoption, are exempt as income to the individual Adoption Assistance (MED 1, 4) Adoption assistance cash payments are considered income to the adopted child even though made to the adoptive parent SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME The following sections discuss program-specific policy on the inclusion or exclusion of income received from the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. SSI benefits are available through the Social Security Administration under Title XVI of the Social Security Act to individuals age 65 or older, blind, or disabled, and who meet specific income and resource requirements. Individuals who have never paid into the Social Security program may be eligible for SSI as well as individuals who are receiving RSDI in an amount less than the current SSI maximum benefit. Refer to IHCPPM for appropriate verification sources CFR (a)(1)(II), (MED 2, 3); 405 IAC 2-3-3, (MED 1) CFR ;

29 Supplemental Security Income (MAGI, MED 3) SSI income is excluded from the calculation of household income when determining an AG's eligibility Supplemental Security Income (MED 1, 4) Within MED 1, the policy stated in this section applies to MA A, MA B, and MA D. SSI benefits of a non-institutionalized Medicaid applicant/recipient are exempt. 23 SSI benefits of a nonparticipating member of an AG are counted. Note: In post-eligibility budgeting, SSI is counted for applicants/recipients in Medicaid-certified facilities with the following exceptions: The maximum SSI payment for a recipient in a Medicaidcertified facility is $30. However, the full benefit amount may be erroneously paid for a few months to an individual just entering a facility. These erroneous payments can be disregarded only if the check is returned to the Social Security Administration uncashed. SSI payments made to recipients who are in 1619 status and who enter public institutions and Medicaid certified facilities (hospital, nursing facility, ICF/MR, or CRF) are not reduced to the $30 cap for the first two full months of institutionalization. For Medicaid purposes, the SSI payments made during these two months are to be disregarded as income. 24 The SSI payments made for 90 days to recipients who are temporarily institutionalized are exempt. The SSA issues a special notice to these recipients indicating they are receiving benefits under P.L The DFR must retain a copy of this notice in the recipient's case file unless the temporary benefits are documented on DESX CFR SSA 1902(f) 24 SSA 1619

30 TANF/RCA PAYMENTS For non-magi (MED 1, 2, 4) AGs, cash assistance (TANF and RCA) must be included as unearned income. This includes a payment for an AG which has a protective payee or a sanctioned member Retroactive/Corrective TANF/RCA Payments (NON- MAGI, MED, 1, 4) Retroactive/corrective TANF/RCA payments are exempt as income or as a resource in the month of receipt. 25 Thereafter, amounts retained are treated as a resource FOOD STAMPS/NUTRITION PROGRAMS Benefits received under the following federal or federallyassisted programs seeking to improve the nutrition of low and moderate income families and individuals are exempt: Food Stamp Act of 1977, as amended; 26 Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (WIC), as amended; 27 National School Lunch Act, as amended; 28 Title VII Nutrition Program for the Elderly of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (Meals on Wheels), as amended; RESIDENTIAL LIVING ALLOWANCES Residential Living Allowances provided by the Semi-Independent Living Program or the Alternative Family Program are exempt. For MED 1 and 4, this disregard does not apply to essential persons. However, the nature of the Semi-Independent Living Program and the Alternative Family Program is such that the applicant/recipient would not have an essential person. 25 SSA 402(a)(22); 45 CFR P.L , Section 7(c); 20 CFR (b) 27 P.L , Section 11(b); 20 CFR (b) 28 P.L , Section 13(h); 20 CFR (b) 29 P.L , Section 709; 20 CFR (b)

31 BENEFIT PROGRAMS The following sections discuss types of benefits payable to individuals and their treatment as unearned income SOCIAL SECURITY INCOME (MED 1, 2, 4) Benefits that are paid by the Social Security Administration (SSA) are unearned income for MED 1, 2, 4 AGs. These types of benefits include Retirement, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (RSDI), special age 72 payments (PROUTY), and black lung benefits. These benefits may be available through the SSA under Title II of the Social Security Act to the covered former wage earner and his dependents or survivors. Black Lung benefits may be available through the United States Department of Labor under Title IV of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 to the former miner and his dependents or survivors. Application for benefits is to be made through the nearest Social Security Administration District Office. Social Security benefits recouped by SSA that are not received by the household are not counted as income. Refer to IHCPPM for verification requirements. All Social Security payments to individuals whose disability is based on Drug Addiction and/or Alcoholism (DAA) are required to be paid to a representative payee. Some organizations act as the representative payee but charge a fee for providing payee services SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS (MED 3) Social security benefits include monthly retirement, survivor, and disability benefits. Social security benefits do not include supplemental security income (SSI). Social security benefits can be taxable or tax exempt. However, all social security benefits, whether taxable or tax exempt, received by an individual are included in the calculation of MAGI for determining household income. 30 Black Lung benefits made available through the United States Department of Labor under Title IV of the Federal Coal Mine USC 36B(d)(2)(B)

32 Health and Safety Act of 1969 to the former miner and his dependents or survivors are considered countable income VETERANS' BENEFITS Veterans' benefits are unearned income in the form of compensation or pension benefits available through the Department of Veterans' Affairs to veterans and their dependents or survivors. Compensation is paid to veterans with service-connected disabilities and is based on the degree of the disability. Pensions are available to certain wartime veterans who are permanently and totally disabled. Additionally, a veteran who is in a nursing home or who needs regular assistance from another person for daily activities may qualify for an Aid and Attendance Allowance or a Housebound Allowance. A single veteran or a widow of a veteran who is in a Medicaid certified nursing home may be receiving a reduced pension of $90 per month. 31 Any portion of the VA benefit which is allowed for a dependent is considered unearned income of the dependent. Refer to IHCPPM concerning verification requirements. For MAGI AGs,(MED 3) VA benefits are not taxable income. Therefore, VA benefits are not counted in the calculation of household income. For MED 1, 4, MA F and RMA, VA benefits are counted for eligibility purposes Spina Bifida Allowance for Veterans' Children For non-magi (MED 1, 2, 4) AGs, allowances paid to children who are born with Spina Bifida and are children of Vietnam veterans will have this allowance excluded from the income and resource determination. 32 The monthly payment is to be considered as exempt income. Left over amounts (previous month's payment that isn't spent in that previous month) of this allowance from previous months 31 Section 3203 of Title 38 U.S.C. as amended by OBRA P.L

33 payments and/or lump sum payments of this allowance are to be considered as an exempt resource. If the client has this in an account with other countable resources, the client must supply the worker with the amount of money that is the Spina Bifida amount so this amount may be exempt from the resource determination. It does not have to be in a separate account, but the client or a family member must keep track of the amount. EXAMPLE: A client is receiving a monthly payment of $700 for Spina Bifida for his child and the client is a Vietnam veteran. The $700 is exempt income. The next month the client receives another payment of $700 which is directly deposited into his bank account. The client also has $500 in this account of which $400 is money left over from the Spina Bifida allowance received in the previous month. For the resource determination, only $100 would be counted and the remaining $400 would be a left over Spina Bifida allowance from the previous month's payment and this $400 would be an exempt resource. For MAGI (MED 3) AGs, allowances paid to children who are born with Spina Bifida and are children of Vietnam veterans are not taxable income. Therefore, such allowances are not counted in the calculation of MAGI for household income VA AID & ATTENDANCE ALLOWANCE AND HOUSEBOUND ALLOWANCE Aid and Attendance Allowance and Housebound Allowances are not considered income RAILROAD RETIREMENT BENEFITS (MED 1, 2, 4) Railroad retirement benefits are unearned income and may be available to former railroad workers and their dependents or survivors. Included are retirement and disability benefits. The Railroad Retirement benefit and Social Security benefit are usually combined in one payment if the individual is entitled to both benefits. Verification of benefits is essential. Refer to IHCPPM RAILROAD RETIREMENT BENEFITS (MED 3) For MAGI, railroad retirement benefits can be taxable or tax exempt. However, all railroad retirement benefits, whether